Live Free or Let Me Die
by evil.mastermind no.1
Summary: Aizen escapes during his fight with Ichigo. Starrk, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, Harribel, Grimmjow and Neliel are still alive, either imprisoned or hiding. Now Aizen wants them once again at his side to finish his plan. Will they turn back to him or start walking their own path? Meanwhile two assassins (OC) are sent after them by the Soul Society but they both follow their own plans.
1. Chapter 1: Falling Espada (prologue)

**Hello there, welcome to my new story!**

**It starts at the end of the Arrancar saga and won't follow the original Bleach. I changed some facts so that the Espada listed in the summary are still alive. Also I will add two major OCs who are assassins among the soul reapers.**

**English isn't my first language so please forgive the mistakes I'm making.**

**I will try to describe the characters as realistic and believable as possible since I'm not a fan of OOC-ness.**

**My story will include action, suspense, intense battles, bloody scenes, bad language, (sarcastic) humor, some romance, death and loss.**

**Everything except my own characters and the plotline belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**The title of this story is also the title of a song from the band Skillet. Of course I don't own it either.**

**Have fun reading!**

**Prologue: Falling Espada**

"Nnoitra… Nnoitra…" What was that for a high voice? It sounded so familiar...

He tried to open his eyes but they didn't want to. His whole body felt so heavy and numb. What happened? He thought he was killed by that crazy soul reaper captain. Was he dead?

"Nnoitra!" Small arms wrapped around his neck, a warm body was pressed against his head and he felt something wet dropping on his skin. "You can't die, you can't leave Nel here! Nel's so sorry; Nel never wanted you to die!"

He tried to open his eyes again and this time it worked. He saw a bunch of green-blue hair and the cracked part of a mask.

"N-Neliel?" he said weakly. Nel stopped hugging him to death and looked at him with her big teary eyes, sobbing. "What are you doing, bitch?"

"Nel is saving you! Nel thought you were dead after that crazy beast slashed you! There was blood everywhere, Nel was so worried! Everyone's gone now so Nel tried to heal you with her spit! Don't die please! Nel's so sorry!" She burst out in tears and hugged him, crying like the foolish little kid she now was.

"Nnoitra… seems like you lost too." Nel winced and loosened her grip to stare over her shoulder at the arriving person. Nnoitra turned his head to see a heavily panting and bleeding Grimmjow standing a couple of feet away, pressing a hand against the wound in his chest. Blood was dripping down on the ground, the sixth Espada could barely stand on his shaking legs but he still took one step after another, glaring at the on the ground lying Espada who had tried to kill him previously.

"You called me miserable for being defeated and then saved; let me now return the sentence… You're miserable you damn bastard." He lifted his right arm with which he was gripping his sword.

"I get it, I tried to kill you when you lied on the ground and now you want to do the same to me" Nnoitra said, looking at Grimmjow with eyes hard to read. "Do it then, I can't move anyway. It's over for me."

"Nnoitra…" Nel said, looking at him with big eyes and a trembling bottom lip. He snorted.

"Look at you, you really act like a baby now, Neliel." Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she turned her head to stare at Grimmjow fearfully. But the panther only lowered his sword.

"I won't lower myself to the likes of you" he growled. Then his legs gave in and he fell backwards onto the ground to stay lying on the sand, gazing at the blue sky through half-closed eyes.

"I hate that place" he mumbled, losing his consciousness. The last thing he saw was the little kid crawling toward him.

"What are you doing Neliel?" Nnoitra asked, trying to sit up even though his whole body was still hurting. As an answer Nel opened her mouth widely, put a finger into her throat and after fumbling at her voice box spit came out with which she covered Grimmjow's wounds.

"Nel's healing him you idiot, what else?" she said, laughing at him with an idiotic look. Her mouth hung open and spit ran down her chin. Pushing away the thought that she also had healed his wounds in that disgusting way, Nnoitra stood up. He stumbled and needed a minute to regain his balance. Grabbing his weapon he stepped to the unconscious sixth Espada and looked down at him with a frown.

"Are you gonna kill him?" Nel asked him, covering fearfully.

He sighed. "No, what would be the use of it? I'm done with fighting for today." He gazed to the palace, Las Noches, and narrowed his eyes. "I just want to leave that fucking place."

* * *

His internal organs were completely crushed. It was over.

A movement caught his eyes. Looking up Ulquiorra saw Orihime holding her hands up. Then he was suddenly surrounded by an orange light. His eyes widened. The voice of the girl was unwavering when she said: "I reject."

"Orihime…" Ichigo said, staring at her surprised. She looked at him, smiling sadly.

"It was my fault that you turned into…" she couldn't speak it out loud, couldn't say _monster_. So she gulped and continued: "I know how important that fight is for you but I won't let your leg and arm being cut off because of my fault. I… There's no need to do this when I regenerate his health back so that both of you will fight under the same conditions, right? Then you can settle this battle even though…" Again she didn't finish what she wanted to say. There was no need to anyway. They all had witnessed the superior strength of Ulquiorra Cifer; they all knew that there was a large gap in between their powers. Ichigo only was able to defeat him because of he went crazy and hollowfied. But if the fight would continue with their conditions being equal, the outcome would be clear.

"Foolish woman, why don't you let me die? I am crushed; I only wanted him to do the final blow. If you proceed in regenerating me you only will watch your friend suffer and die again." Orihime looked to the ground with a pained expression but she didn't stop healing.

"Orihime stop!" Uryuu called out. "This is as crazy as Ichigo's idea; you know how the outcome will be if you continue! That guy is right, let Ichigo finish him; it's over!"

"It's alright" Ichigo said and a smile appeared on his lips. "I'm glad about that. I didn't want the fight to end like this anyway, there's no point in winning when you're an unconscious beast. This way, the fight will at least be equal."

Ulqiorra only stared at them, trying to understand the reason behind their suicidal acting. Didn't they understand what would happen once she finished regenerating him? No, one look in her eyes and he knew that she was well aware of the danger. Then why did she proceed in doing so? He gazed at Ichigo who was holding his sword with a relieved expression, waiting patiently for his friend to finish.

_What is a heart?_

He started to understand it now… he started to see it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki" he said, making all three pairs of eyes look at him. "Earlier you said that you could read my moves more clearly than the first time we fought. You said that it could be because of you becoming more like a hollow or because of me becoming more like a human. I think you are right with both statements." He shifted his gaze to look at the girl. "I think I start to understand now what exactly a heart is. I see why you were able to believe in your friends so much. But tell me... Now that you're about to restore my strength and health and I may once again hurt your comrades… Are you afraid?" She looked at him with determined eyes.

"No… I am not afraid." Ulquiorra nodded and stepped out of the orange sphere surrounding him. His organs were already healed and the rest would be because of his high-speed regeneration.

Ichigo gripped his sword tighter and went into a battle stance but Ulqiorra made no attempt to do the same. "Now that Lord Aizen considers the girl useless there's no need in keeping her any longer. Also I already failed in protecting Las Noches. This battle is over." He turned his back to the small group.

"Hey Ulquiorra, what are you doing?!" Ichigo called out confused.

"Even though you're worth destroying you're still no match for me. Retreat and become stronger. If you crossed the gap between our powers, then we will fight again." With that he disappeared.

Ichigo looked around, awaiting him to reappear somewhere in order to attack him but nothing like this happened. The fourth Espada had left.

* * *

Why did he have to fight against an opponent this strong? He wanted to be weak. He wanted to be a part of a pack.

"Black." Starrk's eyes widened when the soul reaper captain said the color he was now dressed in. He knew what was about to come. If the captain would hit something black it would be over for him according to the rules of these swords.

But before Starrk could react the blade already slashed through the black hole in his body.

He fell, together with the blood splashing out of his wound.

Looking up he saw Aizen standing there in the middle of the air.

Sorry, Lord Aizen. It appears I won't be able repaying my debt to you, he thought, feeling his powers leaving him. I'm not alone. I'm not alone. I'm not alone anymore.

Lilynette's smiling face appeared in his mind, it was an old memory from the moment they first had met. I'm sorry Lilynette, I'm sorry that we couldn't be together for a longer time. I really enjoyed being your comrade.

Then Coyote Starrk, the first Espada, lost consciousness and hit the ground.

* * *

"Lord Aizen, what is it?" Tier Harribel asked, turning her head to look at the former captain. She didn't get a reply right away so she fully turned around to face him. He smiled but his eyes were hard as he gripped the handle of his sword.

Tier's eyes widened, realizing his intentions, but it already was too late. Blood splashed when he cut through her belly.

"I'm done with you" he said, cold, without any caring or hint of regret in his voice. "Based on your performance you're not strong enough to fight for me." Her legs gave in as she pressed her hand against the wound. It didn't stop the blood from streaming out. The crimson liquid covered her skin and the armor part of her forearm; the droplets were floating in the air around her before they fell down onto the earth like a bloody rain.

Her green eyes widened in shock when she fell forward, her legs were unable to carry her weight any longer with the energy flowing out of her body along with the blood.

"I… I don't understand."

"Isn't it obvious? Even if I forced more of you to sacrifice yourselves, in the end it would have achieved nothing. So I'm cutting my losses."

He was wrong. No world is without sacrifices.

Tier gritted her teeth in anger. She had gained this power in order to protect her comrades, to be able to defend them against the males. She had wanted to avenge the sacrifice Mila Rose, Sung-Sun and Apacci had made for her.

In the end Aizen hadn't been different from all the other males. She had been foolish to think otherwise.

"Aizen!" she yelled in fury. Pulling together the last strength she had the third Espada charged at him, raised her weapon and slashed through him. But he only smiled.

"Your attack is feudal." Her eyes widened in horror when his blade pierced through her skin and the illusion in front of her shattered. "You can't win this fight. I am through wasting my time." He cut through her flesh. The blood spilled out. Her body grew heavy and numb. She couldn't move a limb, couldn't raise her weapon, couldn't stop from falling toward the ground.

No world was without sacrifices... Didn't he realize this? This sea of blood covered in ashes... We refer to this hell as the world.

* * *

**How did you like it? Good, okay, bad? Please review to let me know, any criticism is welcomed as long as it's no flame!**


	2. Chapter 2: Red Roses

**Thanks to Epicness392, lolcatsmanseven and Drkooljack for the reviews! And to everyone else who decided to continue reading!**

**I've got all the translations that appear during this story from google because I can't speak Japanese. If you can Japanese and any of these translations should be wrong, please tell me :).**

**Chapter 2: Red Roses**

"The traitor Sosuke Aizen escaped during the battle with the substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki. His current plans are unknown but it can be assumed that he is already planning his next move. His two allies Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen, also traitors, died during the battle. Two of the Espada, a group of the ten strongest Arrancar, as well as three Arrancar, were captured and currently held prison. Five Espada were killed but three are still alive and their whereabouts unknown. We can't let them regroup with Aizen, that's why Central 46 decided to give you the mission to track the remaining Espada down and to kill them. This is a very important assassination, failing won't be tolerated." The young woman who was standing in front of the members of Central 46 in the underground room smiled at the last sentence as she knew exactly what the meaning of the hidden threat was.

"What is with Aizen? Isn't he the greater threat right now?" she asked with a soft, kind, but confident and strong voice, and looked up at the members of Central 46 who were shielded so that they weren't to be identified.

"The problem Aizen will be dealt by the 13 court guard squads" another voice said.

"I understand" she said nodding and threw a glance at her partner. The man was silent and let her talk; he stood there like a statue, with a small smile on his lips.

"However, we will only do this assassination under a few conditions" she continued. The room went silent for a moment before someone asked: "What do you mean by that?"

"I know that Ichimaru as well as Tosen are still regarded as traitors. I want you to cancel it."

"No way!" an angry voice called out. "Former Captain Kaname Tosen was clearly loyal to Aizen and even though former Captain Gin Ichimaru tried to kill Aizen it doesn't change the fact that he still helped him achieving his goals!"

"In the end they both regretted at least part of their actions, they saw that what they did was wrong and their betrayal is already forgiven. Also, like you just said, Captain Ichimaru wanted to kill Aizen in the end, he set his own life on the line to do so" the woman explained calmly. "They deserve to be buried in a proper funeral that's appropriate to a soul reaper. This is one of our conditions."

"And what would the other ones be?" a deep angry voice asked in a dark growl.

"You won't sentence the imprisoned Espada as long as our mission isn't completed." Before one of the members of Central 46 could oppose her she continued: "The two prisoners may have knowledge for example about the whereabouts or plans of their fellows and Aizen. I'm aware that their judgment will be execution but they won't be helpful if they're dead."

"They are dangerous! We can't take too long time with judging them!"

"Yes, but we shouldn't rush things either. Also I'm certain that the 13 court guard squads won't let them escape, or do you have doubts?" she asked with a smirk, making several voices growl.

"The third condition will be to inform us about the events that are going on in Soul Society while we carry out the assassinations." This point was no problem, several members mumbled approving.

"Great, the last one will be that all the points against Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, Yoruichi Shihoin, Ichigo Kurosaki, Isshin Kurosaki, the Quincy Uryuu Ishida, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Rukia Kuchiki, and the group who call themselves vizards, will be dropped. They never have committed any crime against the Soul Society and the former soul reapers will be allowed to return to the 13 court guard squads if they want. Also in the future they will get any support from the Soul Society they need."

"Don't worry we already have planned to do so on our own" one member said sharply.

"Good" the woman only said. "So, will you accept our conditions, members of Central 46?"

"I hope you know what you are asking for with the first and second ones… But we will accept them as long as you carry out the assassinations. As soon as you betray the Soul Society, act against the mission or fail on purpose, the condition will be void by law." Both the woman and the man simply nodded and then left the underground chamber.

Standing outside in the sunlight the man chuckled. He had short hazelnut brown hair, amber eyes, was well-built, circa 180 centimeters high and he had a small scar on his left cheek. "One wouldn't think that Aizen killed the last members of Central 46, the current ones are exactly the same like the last."

The woman laughed, nodding. "Yes, you're right." She was two head shorter than the man, had black long hair with some blue strands in it, dark eyes, and pale skin. They were both dressed in the usual black soul reaper outfit with their swords at their sides. However, their robe's sleeves were cut off so that they arms were exposed. The arms of the man were covered with tattoos. On his left arm there were several signs, lines, and the tattoo of a knife decorated his left bicep. A dragon snaked around his right arm, surrounded by lotus petals; its mouth was opened and about to close around a red rose that was on his shoulder. However, the blooming rose was surrounded by thorns. The same rose along with the thorns was also found on the woman's right shoulder.

"Do you go back to the hut or shall I?" the woman asked, blinking into the sun.

He sighed. "I'll go. You probably just forget packing the most important things again." She chuckled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"Alright, then let's meet at the gate of the 12th squad where Captain Kurotsuchi should open a garganta for us." With that she was gone. The man remind standing there for a second longer, smiling into his surroundings, before he too disappeared.

* * *

"Welcome to the meeting, captains of the 13 court guard squads as well as substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki" Genryusai Yamamoto opened the meeting. The now nine captains were lined up in two lines, the head captain stood at the top and Ichigo was standing near the door.

"I called in this meeting to discuss the happenings of what happened and what is about to come. As you all already know we still don't have any information about the whereabouts of Sosuke Aizen and the three Espada who survived and fled. To solve the last problem Central 46 called in the help of the Red Roses."

Ichigo frowned. "What's the Red Roses?" he asked, not caring that he just was interrupting the head captain.

"The Red Roses are two former members of the second squad" Ukitake answered. "They were at captain level but never accepted a promotion. When they left the squad they became assassins and carried out assassinations by order of the Soul Society."

"Yes, but they often get in trouble with Central 46 themselves and sometimes even refused to finish some assassinations" Soi Fon continued. "They are not always as loyal as one might think but all in all they finish their jobs with a great score, that's why the Soul Society keeps relying on these two."

"Wait, they are only two?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, Mai (Dance) Tsukino (Of the month) and Kohaku (Amber) Mori (Forest), they were the two bests in squad two before they left it. They're calling themselves Red Roses because a rose looks beautiful but it is in the same time dangerous and red symbolizes the blood that's spilled during an assassination. They both have the tattoo of a rose placed on their right shoulder."

"That is correct" Yamamoto said "but what I actually wanted to tell you are the conditions under which they accepted the mission."

"Conditions?" Ichigo repeated, once again interrupting the most powerful man in Soul Society.

Soi Fon grinned. "It's not often that Central 46 relies on them but if they do it's a very important assassination they have to carry out. However, Mai and Kohaku never once accepted a mission without ordering something in return. I guess that the new members of Central 46 just learned it on the hard way." She chuckled as she was proud of the two former members who had served under Yuroichi when Soi Fon had been the third seat and later the lieutenant of the squad after Urahara became captain of squad 12.

"What conditions did they negotiate this time?" Shunsui Kyoraku asked curiously. Shortly the head captain repeated the four points that were made only an hour ago. After it the captains were silent for a moment.

"I don't get it, why did they negotiate these conditions out?" Ichigo asked confused. "I mean, it's nice and I really appreciate it but why?"

"Who knows…?" Kyoraku said with a shrug. "Does one really need a reason to do such a thing?" he asked looking at the substitute soul reaper with a small smile. "The exact reasons of why they're making these conditions are often hard to understand, but they mostly do have a motive."

"I just hope they finish their jobs quickly and retreat the bodies so that we can examine them since these two are holding up the death of the current prisoners" Mayuri Kurotuschi said.

Ichigo didn't feel well at the thought. Yes, the Espada had been their enemies, they had threatened his friends, he almost had died during their battles but did they really deserve to be sentenced to death?

"What if they're no longer on Aizen's side?" he spoke out loud what he was thinking, making the entire captains look at him. He thought about Ulquiorra telling him that he might become more human, that he was able to see something like a heart, a soul, a human thing. He thought about Grimmjow, how he had stood up again even though he already had been defeated and when he was cut down by his comrade just like that. He thought about Nel who had got back her memories and old form in order to protect him. They were all originally Hollows. They should be enemies but he couldn't help but to feel sympathy toward them. Ichigo didn't hold a grudge against any of them. He didn't want revenge because they hurt him or his friends. And he certainly didn't want them to die! The only one who may deserve such a destiny was Aizen!

"We don't know if they're still loyal to Aizen" Byakuya spoke up calmly while Ichigo gritted his teeth and balled his fists. "If they are, they are enemies who must be destroyed before they make contact with Aizen if it's not too late already. We have to cut them down before they can regroup and plan out their next attack."

"Yes, but what if they are not? Aizen probably just used them like everyone else; maybe they didn't even want to fight under his command and only did because they were forced to!" Shunsui touched the end of his straw hat and lowered his head as Ichigo called upon a point he also had thought about a lot since he had defeated the first Espada, the one who hadn't want to fight, the one who certainly had grieved over his comrades deaths, the one who was now locked up, awaiting his execution.

"Ichigo, let me ask you a question" Kenpachi said seriously. "When you fought against your opponents, did you really have the impression they didn't enjoy fighting?"

"No but-"

"Wherever they are loyal to Aizen or not, it's not important. What really is important is that they are still Hollows and we are soul reapers, we are both species born to fight and wherever we meet our blades will be crossed. So even if they don't fight under Aizen they are still enemies we have to get rid of."

"Tsk, in your position I wouldn't talk like this" Mayuri said. "After all it was you who let your opponent alive when you actually should have killed him!"

Kenpachi glared at the scientist. "I don't finish enemies who can't even fight anymore." Kurotsuchi already opened his mouth to reply but Yamamoto interrupted them.

"Enough! Ichigo Kurosaki, you surely have a soft heart but we are at war and you can't win a battle when you take pity upon your opponent. When you fail to strike them down in the right moment they may turn against you and do what you couldn't because of your soft heart. The decision is already decided, the surviving Espada will be tracked down by the Red Roses and assassinated!" he finished, stomping his staff onto the ground. No one dared to say a word – except of course for an orange haired individual.

"I just have a question. On our travel through Hueco Mundo we came across an Arrancar called Nel who turned out to be the former third Espada but she isn't part of Aizen's army anymore and in fact she even helped us and saved my life! What will happen with her?" he asked as he was truly worried about Nel. He only had thought about her after Aizen had left during their fight when he received the message that two Espada were imprisoned.

"I'm well aware of that" the head captain calmly said, seeming to be unimpressed by the substitute's bluntness. "However, when Captain Kuchiki, Captain Kurotsuchi and Captain Zaraki searched Las Noches after your leaving the fifth Espada was gone as well as the one you just described."

"In your report you said that she had healing abilities, right?" Unohana asked with a kind smile. Ichigo nodded. "According to Captain Zaraki the fifth Espada had been wounded too badly after their battle to be able to stand up that quickly."

"Wait, what do you want to say with that?" Ichigo said. "Nel was on our side, she protected me! That guy wanted to kill her, there's no way she would have healed him!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, the current mission for the Red Roses is to hunt down the current Espada. However if this Neliel Tu Oderschvank will be with the targets and even fight with them, you must understand what the consequences will be." Ichigo looked to the ground. Nel, he thought and the laughing face of the little kid Arrancar appeared in his mind. Please be safe.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, the Red Roses must already await you at the gate of squad 12. You will open a garganta to Hueco Mundo through which they can pass." Mayori looked everything else but happy.

"I don't understand why I should waste my precious time in creating a garganta for those low ranks but" he added when Yamamoto sent him a threatening glare "I will generously do it."

"Wait, in that case I will come with you. I'd like to speak with the Red Roses myself before they leave" Ichigo said making Kurotsuchi sigh before his face lit up.

"Good idea, I've got some things I'd like to ask and test you about your final getsuga tenshou anyway." he said with sparkling eyes.

Ichigo though replied: "No way in hell I will play the guinea pig for you" he growled. "Not after what you did to Uryuu."

Kurotsuchi rolled his eyes. "I don't understand why you're all making such a fuss about such a small incident."

"It's decided then" the head captain interrupted them before the _conversation_ would get out of control. "The captain meeting is hereby over."

* * *

**Please review! **

**In the next chapter Ichigo will talk with the Red Roses and Shunsui searches a new drinking buddy :).**


	3. Chapter 3: Doubts

**Thanks to Epicness392 for the review. **

**I don't know yet if there will be any pairings in this story but there will be some hints of romance. Maybe even more than hints... Don't know yet. I'm more the action and suspense type of person that's why this certainly won't develope into a romance fanfic.**

**Enjoy reading!**

**Chapter 3: Doubts**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi wasn't in a hurry. Slowly – Ichigo was sure that he did it purposely – he walked toward his squad. Adding to the slow speed he constantly questioned the substitute soul reaper about his final getsuga tenshou, his inner hollow, Zangetsu and lots of other stuff. Eventually Ichigo got fed up with the scientist and flash stepped away with a short apology, hurrying over to the gate leading to the barracks of squad 12. There, two figures were standing in front of the gate and turned to look at him as soon as he appeared.

"Hey, are you two the Red Roses?" he asked as a greeting and looked at the young woman and man.

"Yes we are. You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, the substitute soul reaper, right?" the woman asked with a kind smile. Ichigo nodded.

"Good, then the captain meeting must be finished. Didn't you come here together with Captain Kurotsuchi?" the man asked.

They both spoke with such a friendly, calm voice that it was almost irritating, Ichigo thought with a frown but he pushed it to the side and answered: "The meeting already ended some time ago but Mayuri is taking his time getting over here. He doesn't seem to be too fond of you."

The man sighed. "Why doesn't surprise me this?" he mumbled crossing his arms over his chest. The woman chuckled.

"By the way, I'm Mai Tsukino and he's Kohaku Mori though I guess you already know our names. Why did you come here?"

"I know about your new mission, the one including killing the Espada. I just wanted to ask you that if you'd come across an Arrancar with the name Nel or Neliel Tu Oderschwank, don't hurt her please. I know she was the former third Espada but she lost her powers and memories and even though she regained a part of it she is still in the form of a child. Also she helped us in Hueco Mundo and even saved my life. Without her I would be dead by now!"

"I understand" the woman, Mai, said softly and nodded. "I can assure you Ichigo that one of our principles is to never kill innocents. If that Arrancar won't go back to her original form to attack us we won't hurt her. Is that okay?" Ichigo nodded with a smile.

"Thank you."

"No problem" they both said simultaneously, grinning.

"By the way, are you really intending to face all three Espada on your own?" Ichigo asked frowning.

"Of course we are" Kohaku answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I fought all of them on my own and these opponents are pretty powerful. You shouldn't underestimate them; I just barely survived my fights with them." Especially the one with Ulquiorra, Ichigo thought darkly. In fact the fourth Espada had killed him twice. It was only because of Orihime and his Hollow powers that he was still alive.

"We appreciate your concern but we will be fine" Kohaku said. "In fact the data from yours and Captain Zaraki's previous fights with the three Espada have helped us very much. You had to face them without knowing their exact abilities and powers but we have your reports you gave the head captain. That gives us an advantage."

"Don't worry about us" Mai said winking. "We have already faced a lot of strong and deadly opponents, we'll be fine. After all we aren't the two best assassins in the whole Soul Society for nothing."

Ichigo nodded, smiling.

"You're still here" Kurotsuchi said as he finally had arrived at the gate. Displeased he looked at the Red Roses. "I hoped that you would give up waiting after a while." He sighed and then the gate of the squad opened. "Come with me then if you really want to. Substitute, if you plan on accompanying us you're only allowed in my laboratory" he said glancing at Ichigo but the orange haired quickly said goodbye and disappeared.

* * *

"What do you think about all of this?" Shunsui asked as he and Jushiro entered the latter's house at the lake.

"You mean the Red Roses being send to assassinate the rest of the Espada?" His friend nodded.

"Yes this and the decision to execute the ones who are currently in prison." They sat down on two seat-pillows and immediately the two third seats Kiyone and Sentaro were by their side, kneeling on the floor.

"Captain Ukitake, would you like to have some tea?" Sentaro asked, making Kiyone glare at him.

"I wanted to ask him this!" the girl hissed.

"You're not worthy enough to ask our captain if he wants tea" the man replied, swelling his chest.

"Shut up, we're both third seat officers!"

Shunsui and Shuhei chuckled at their bickering and their captain said: "I would gladly have some tea, thank you. And please give Captain Kyoraku some too."

"Of course Captain!" they both yelled in union and disappeared again, racing to test of whoever would be faster.

"They both have so much energy, it always reminds me of how old we already are" the captain with the pink robe who now placed his straw hat on the ground said with a smile.

"Yes, they're truly energetic" his friend replied also smiling before he got serious again. "To your question earlier, I understand why Central 46 made the decisions but I also doubt if it's really necessary to sentence them to death."

"I never said I would doubt that decision."

"That's true but I see it in your expression. You do have doubts and I understand it. However, it's Central 46 after all and we must accept their judgment."

"I agree but I think that we just should focus more on that traitor Aizen instead of sending our two best assassins after the Espada. They are surely powerful and it would be terrible if they would regroup with Aizen but he should still be our premier problem."

"I believe that Ichigo might not be completely wrong in what he said. There could indeed be a chance that the Espada aren't on Aizen's side anymore" Jushiru said, remembering how the former captain had cut down the third Espada during the battle and had considered her useless. "In that case it would be completely wasteful running after them when they aren't even our enemies anymore."

"Without any doubt" Shunsui agreed nodding. "However, like Captain Kuchiki said, we don't know on which side they are and we can't risk anything, not when we're dealing with Aizen." Jushiru sighed.

"At least the judgment was halted duo to the negotiations from the Red Roses."

"Yeah I'm curious to see the outcome of that mission. It certainly won't end as planned, not with these two, but I also don't think that they would act against Central 46 at such a time. The situation is too serious and severe for doing so."

The white haired captain just wanted to say something when a heavy cough attack shook his body. Some droplets of blood were shown when he removed his hand from his mouth. Shunsui was by his friend's side immediately and looked at the blood frowning.

"Are you alright old friend?"

"Captain Ukitake!" his third seats yelled, placing the tea dishes to the side and hurrying over to their captain, worryingly.

"Aren't you feeling well?

"Shall we inform squad four?"

"You should lie down!"

But Jushiro waved it off. "It's okay. I guess I haven't fully recovered from the last battle yet. Maybe I should have stayed in bed this morning." He laughed sheepishly making Shunsui smile.

"Damn, don't scare me like this old friend. You should rest for the next few days, I'm sure Kiyone and Sentaro will gladly inform you about everything that'll happen."

"Of course Captain!" the female officer said, nodding seriously.

"I'm sorry Shunsui; I guess I once again can't be your drinking buddy for today."

"Don't worry, I will find someone else" he said. "Well then, thanks for the little chat, I better go and find a new drinking companion before the sweet Nanao will find me and force me to do paper work."

Jushiro laughed and waved goodbye as the other captain left the house.

* * *

When Ichigo arrived at the barracks of squad four where he and his friends could stay during their time in Soul Society he was surprised to not only find Orihime, Chad and Uryuu in his room but Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku and Izuru as well.

"Hey guys, what are all of you doing here?" he asked surprised, sitting down at one of the comfortable pillows.

Renji shrugged. "We heard that you participated in the captains meeting and wanted to ask you what was discussed during it. So, what happened?" he asked curiously though he tried not to show it.

"Wait, don't your captains inform you about everything afterwards?" he asked still confused.

"Nah, our captains are all meanies" Rangiku said giggling, making everybody shift uncomfortable in their seats.

"Are… are you drunk Rangiku?" Ichigo asked.

She giggled again. "Maybe a tiny little bit… But I'm perfectly fine!" she said cheerfully and waved with a sake bottle, making Ichigo sweat drop.

"I'm sorry for her behavior" Izuru said lowering his head in apology. "I tried to hold her off but she didn't listen to me and wanted to come."

"Ah, cheer up Izuru, after all we're all still alive, we should celebrate it with some alcohol" she said laughing and held the bottle in front of Orihime who quickly waved her hands in front of her while leaning back, laughing nervously. "I'm sorry Rankgiku but I'm still minor."

"Ah who cares, no one will know!"

"Rangiku, behave yourself or we will bring you back to Captain Hitsugaya" Yumichika threatened, glaring at her. Rangiku instantly pulled away the sake bottle, making Orihime sigh in relief. Taking a gulp she mumbled "meanies" and started pouting.

Some very awkward minutes of silence passed until Rukia asked: "So Ichigo, what was decided during the captain's meeting?" They all leaned forward in anticipation and the orange haired substitute soul reaper started telling them what had happened.

When he came to the point about not treating Gin and Kaname as traitors anymore but allowing them to get the funerals of soul reapers he halted with his telling.

"I'm glad to hear that" Rangiku whispered, pulled her knees closer to her body, slung her arms around them and put her chin on her knees. Like so often during the past days she remembered her time with Gin; when he had found and saved her, when he always had left her without saying anything, their last conversation and the moment of his death. If I… If I only would have arrived sooner… she thought and had to fight against these stupid tears that once again threatened to appear. I could have saved him… But now he would never come back again no matter how long she would wait… He had disappeared forever.

"Rangiku…" Orihime said sadly and leaned over to embrace her. Rangiku looked up surprised but then smiled.

"You shouldn't worry too much about me, I'll be fine" she said laughing. Orihime pulled away from her and gave her an encouraging smile which Rangiku returned before she gripped the sake bottle again. "Will you stare at me for the whole day or finish telling, Ichigo?"

* * *

Some hours later – it was now late afternoon – the others except the guests from the world of the living had left because of their duties calling and Izuru had dragged Rangiku with him after she had become too drunk, apologizing again and again because of her behavior but the friends waved it off with a smile. They all knew that they both went through a hard phase, especially the orange haired woman.

"What do you think about all of it?" Ichigo asked his friends.

Uryuu pushed his glasses up his nose, a habit of his. "I believe Central 46 do have a point in sending these assassins after the Espada. Also it's not like we can do anything about it."

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Nel. I shouldn't have left her just like this in that place" Ichigo said looking down but he looked up when Orihime placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling at him.

"Don't worry; I'm sure she's fine."

"Yes, there's no reason why the Red Roses would be forced to attack her" Chad agreed and Uryuu also nodded.

"What would interest me is what happens now that the assassins are after the Espada and the captains will deal with Aizen. Is there even a reason for us to stay here any longer?"

"Yeah, I'd like to see Tatzuki and the others again" Orihime said frowning as she had been gone for several weeks now since Ulquiorra had kidnapped her.

"I don't know exactly but I think that we can leave soon. Honestly I look forward to it; I still have a lot to explain to Tatzuki and the others."

"You will tell them the truth?" Chad asked, making Ichigo nod.

"Of course, there would be no sense in trying to lie to them anyway. Also I think they deserve to know the truth, after all they almost got in between the fight with Aizen."

"I agree" Orihime said smiling looking forward to the meeting with her friend.

"Then let's hope that we won't be needed for much longer" Ichigo said smiling at his three friends.

* * *

**Any ideas of who Shunsui's new drinking buddy might be? **

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Clinking glasses

**Thanks to Hylla for reviewing.**

**Chapter 4: Clinking glasses**

It was early evening when Shunsui Kyoraku walked through the dark tunnel-like corridor with a sake bottle in his right hand and two glasses in his other hand. The underground prison where dangerous criminals were sent in before they were judged was placed outside of the center of Sereitei under a great mountain, its entrance was hidden, sealed and guarded and only those of captain rank knew about it. He had to leave his Zanpakutos at the entrance and there was a powerful kido placed over this prison that disturbed ones spiritual pressure. The walls of the corridors were lit by several lights which were flickering in a blue-green light but its flames were more cold than warm.

During his walk through the cold halls he could hear yelling and screaming coming from another corridor that branched off from that one.

"You bitch, what did you just call me?!"

"I think you heard me just right, lumbering oaf."

"I'm so gonna kill you!"

"Try it then, you won't get across your dirty cell anyway."

"Be silent you two, you're giving me a headache with your idiotic quarrel."

"What was that?!"

He halted for a moment when hearing the female voices. They had to come from the three Arrancars they had arrested, the Fracciónes of the third Espada, Tier Halibel. For a moment he thought about going over to the ladies and trying to stop the fight but then Shunsui remembered for what he actually had come down here and continued his walk with a sigh. Maybe he could pay them a visit after the one he was about to do.

Finally he arrived at the cell. A single light illuminated the insights and he could see the outlines of the Espada lying on the simple wooden bed.

"Hey there, I hope I don't interrupt your nap" he said as a greeting and placed the bottle and the glass on the ground. Pulling a cushion from under his cloak he put it on the cold stone floor and sat down on it. He was too old to stay standing there for the whole time. Removing his straw hat he also but it on the ground and then looked into the darkness of the cell.

The shadowy figure shifted slightly but made no intention to sit up.

"My usual drinking buddy dropped out for today that's why I thought I would give you some company. Sadly I can't invite you to my office because that place is really dark and uncomfortable but I guess it all can be solved with a few drinking shots." There was still no reaction and Shunsui sighed. "You're still grieving over your comrade's death, aren't you? I hope you're not angry with me since I was the one who did the striking blow but I understand if you are. I would feel the same; the death of a comrade is always hard to overcome."

"Why did you come here, soul reaper captain?" the figure finally asked and Shinsui smiled, happy to get a reaction.

"In the first place I came to have a place where I can drink my daily sake without my sweet Nanao interrupting me, and to share it with someone. The second reason is to tell you the newest happenings." He told the Espada about the decisions of Central 46 while pouring some sake into the two glasses.

"So you came here to question me about the other Espada and Lord Aizen?" Coyote Starrk said. "Sorry to disappoint you though soul reaper captain, but I don't know anything about either of them. You're wasting your time."

"Please, call me Shunsui. And I didn't come here to question you but to drink some sake with you. However, I can't deny that I indeed wanted to ask you some questions but that can wait." He took his glass and pushed the other through the cell bars.

"So, do you want to clink glasses?" he asked with a kind smile on his lips. First Coyote Starrk didn't react but then he sat up with a sigh and came over to the cell bars. He stopped and looked down at the captain who was dressed like usually in the normal soul reaper outfit plus his white captain cloak and the pink robe. His straw hat was placed next to him and he looked up at the Espada with a smirk and the glass in his hand, waiting for his new drinking buddy to take his. After a minute of silence Starrk sat down and took the glass but made no intention of drinking the sake.

"On what should we clink glasses, soul reaper captain?" he asked frowning, staring into the liquid.

"I told you to call me Shinsui. And I don't know… What's about the fallen comrades of both of us, though this would kind of be depressing…" He thought about it for a moment and then his face lit up and he raised his glass and said: "To life."

"Seriously? I lost a part of my soul and I will be executed soon, my life is already over." For a moment there was sadness and once again grief seen in Starrk's face. It's hard to imagine that he really is a Hollow, Shunsui thought and he even felt sorry for him. Maybe he really shouldn't have killed the little girl.

"Hey, head up. Like I said, you won't be judged that quickly, it's not over so there is still time to hope." He smiled.

Starrk looked up from the glass and into the grey eyes of the captain. "You sound like you hope for me not being executed" he said curiously. "May I ask why? After all we are enemies."

Shunsui shrugged. "In a war it's hard to draw a clear line of who are bad or good, allies and enemies. However, we soul reapers are also bound to rules and if Central 46 judges you Espada guilty and decided to execute you, there isn't exactly much we can do."

"I understand" Starrk only said with a nod. This whole execution thing reminded Shunsui too much at the time where Rukia Kuchiki also had been sentenced to death. Neither of them had liked it but they couldn't have done anything against it. However, this time Central 46 wasn't slaughtered, the orders weren't faked. This was what they had decided and it made sense. The Espada had been Aizen's loyal army; they had battled and tried to kill them. But why did it still feel so wrong?

"You seem to be unsure" Starrk commented, observing the captain. "I wouldn't have thought you would think so much about it. It's unlike your relaxed nature."

"Like I once said, my characteristic is to act uncharacteristic" he said chuckling and then again held up the sake glass. "So, shall we do clink our glasses to life?"

Starrk sighed. Life… He had started to live when he split his soul into two and gained Lilynette as a comrade… When he hadn't to worry anymore about his comrades dying because of his mere presence…

He looked at the soul reaper captain. He also didn't die because of his power, simply because he was more powerful than Starrk. He had defeated him. But yet he had come into that uncomfortable place that wasn't suited to take a nap and offered him to drink sake with him. He offered him to be his drinking buddy. A comrade…

A small smile appeared on Starrk's lips. "What about clinking glasses to comradeship?" he said raising his glass. Shunsui nodded smirking and the soul reaper and the hollow clinked glasses to comradeship.

* * *

With the empty sake bottle in his hand Shunsui walked back through the hallway. It must be already night time but Starrk had been a really good company. The captain even had made the Espada laugh and made him forget grieving about his dead comrade. Now Shunsui was walking back in a slightly drunk status.

"Just shut your shitty trap already, bitch!"

"What?! You're the one who started this!"

"You're both so idiotic it's shameful."

"Shut up!"

The Fracciónes, Shunsui thought and now that he hadn't any business anymore he of course walked into the corridor.

"Hello ladies, what are you all arguing about?" he asked with a wide smile and red cheeks from the alcohol.

All three of them turned to glare at him.

"Who the hell are you?" the dark skinned and brown haired Mila Rose asked, narrowing her green eyes at the captain.

"Oh I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, captain of squad 8. I heard your wonderful voices and thought I'd come by to check if everything's fine." The three looked stunned; they just stared at him, blinking. The black haired Apacci was the first one to recover.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm going to kill you for that!" she screamed, banging against her cell bars, sending Shunsui death glares who looked back surprised.

"My, you sure have a temperament. There's no need in yelling like this my dear" the captain said, still smiling.

"Aren't you the one who fought and defeated Coyote Starrk?" Sung-Sun asked holding her sleeve like usually in front of her mouth.

"I sure am" Shunsui answered touching his straw hat.

"Why did you visit him then just now?" a calm voice asked from the shadow of a fourth cell. Shunsui turned slightly his head to look into the cell.

"You must be Tier Halibel the third Espada I presume?" he asked friendly and the female Espada stepped to the bars, looking at the captain through them with cold green eyes. Her blond hair shone even in the dark cell, reflecting the little light that came from the lights.

"Yes I am. So, why did you come down here to visit Starrk?"

"Well you see, my friend is sick and the last battle didn't improve his condition. So instead of being my drinking buddy he has to keep in bed that's why I searched a new one. Even though we have our differences the first Espada and I are very much alike, that's why I came here hoping he would have some shots with me" he explained, waving with the empty sake bottle. "I'd like to continue the drinking party with you ladies but then I first have to get some new sake."

"Yeah sure, like we'd believe you" Mila Rose said glaring at him. "There's no way a soul reaper would come down here into this prison to visit the one he defeated just to drink some sake."

"You got me" he said lowering his head so that his straw hat covered his face. "I also intended to ask him some questions about Aizen which I did but sadly he didn't know anything that would be helpful that's why we completely concentrated of having a decent conversation. And I must say I really did enjoy it."

"But you're a soul reaper captain and he is an Espada, a Hollow, two opposite beings."

"I wouldn't say that, miss" Shunsui replied friendly making Tier cross her arms, looking at him curiously. "Like I said earlier, Starrk and I are very much alike. The fact that I am a soul reaper and he a Hollow is only secondary. In fact he isn't the first Hollow with whom I tried to have a few shots instead of a fight but he was the first one who ever listened." He laughed as it was the truth.

"You surely are a weird soul reaper" Sung-Sun said, tilting her head to the side.

"I guess that must be right if you say so. Well then, the night is still young, would you mind drinking with me some sake?" he asked looking at each of the women.

"Only over my dead body" Apacci growled wrinkling her nose. "Not with such an old fart like you."

"Ouch that was hard" Shunsui said with a hurt expression.

"Mind your own business soul reaper and get out of here!" Mila Rose exclaimed.

"I wouldn't mind if you'd stay here" Sung-Sun said shyly, making both of her partners look at her shocked. "What, he surely seems to be a better companion than you both rowdies are."

"What was that?" Mila Rose growled, glaring at the green haired girl.

"Enough" Tier said and her Fracciónes immediately shut up. "I appreciate what you were saying, Captain, but you should go now" she said in a voice that was hard to read.

He lowered his head. "I understand" he said and turned around to leave but then halted. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you… Because of some negotiations your judgment was delayed" he added in a serious tone before he waved. "I certainly enjoyed our conversation, ladies. I hope it won't be the last one." And with that he was gone.

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I love both Shunsui and Starrk, they could be really good friends if they wouldn't fight on different sides. I hope you liked reading it.**

**Next chapter the Espada and Nel will appear again.**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Confrontation

**Chapter 5: Confrontation**

"Why did you even bring that kid with you?" Grimmjow asked with a frown, staring at the small girl who had fallen asleep in Nnoitra's arms.

The fifth Espada though only shrugged. How could he give the answer to a question he didn't even know himself? Since he had woken up from her voice he already thought a hundred times about kicking, beating, slashing her with his weapon, killing her…

In the end he didn't do it but attempted to leave Las Noches and leaving her behind but she had ran after him, crying waterfalls and yelling at him about how he could leave her behind. Grimmjow had woken up then, they had crossed their blades, yelling and glaring at each other, reopening the wounds they had gained from their previous fights. Finally they both had collapsed on the ground, too weak to continue. They both hated it… to be weak, to be unable to continue fighting. And then this strong spiritual pressure that had to be of captain rank, had come closer. Though none of them would ever have admitted it, it was clear that they wouldn't last long in a second fight. So, even if they were both reluctant to do so, they had retreated. They had turned their back on the palace.

Now they were walking through the wide desert of Hueco Mundo, the outlines of Las Noches had already disappeared a long time ago and so far they didn't cross the way with anyone but small animal-arrancars.

Neither of them knew why they were still sticking together. It was the same as with the question of why Nnoitra hadn't killed that little bitch yet; no one of them knew exactly the answer. They would split apart soon though and then Nnoitra would kick that annoying thing in his arms as far away as he could.

"I enjoy seeing her in that weak helpless form" Nnoitra finally replied. It was the truth. After all the times Neliel had defeated and humiliated him it was now his time he could laugh at her for being so pitiful weak, and all just because of him. But he also knew that this was only a part of the real answer.

"I'm fucking tired" Grimmjow said after some minutes of silent walking, groaning. "Hey, isn't there a cave over there?"

"Do you want to say you need a rest?" Nnoitra replied with a grin, making the blue haired glare at him.

"Shut up! I know you're tired too."

"Tsk fine then. I just hope that some Hollows live in there, I didn't slash anything for too long." Luckily for him there was indeed a group of weak Hollows resting there. Both Nnoitra and Grimmjow of course charged into the cave and killed them all in an instant.

"What the hell was that about?!" Nnoitra yelled. "I said that I would take care of them!"

"Shut up who said I would leave you all the fun?!" Grimmjow yelled back. They both gripped their weapons and were about to battle each other when Nel appeared in the entrance of the cave, rubbing her eyes tiredly and yawning.

"What are you yelling about?" she asked.

"You can be heard through whole Hueco Mundo." Nel froze on the spot, her eyes widening in horror when she suddenly heard that calm voice coming from above her. Shaking she turned her head to look at the arriving person though she already had recognized that voice.

"F-Fourth Espada, U-U-Ulquiorra C-Cifer" she whispered and the memory of Ichigo being killed by this powerful being popped into her head. Grimmjow and Nnoitra turned to stare at him after getting over the brief shock and surprise. Neither of them loosened the grip on their weapons.

"What the fuck are you doing here Ulquiorra?" Nnoitra asked with narrowed eyes.

"I could ask you the same" he calmly replied, ignoring Nel who still stared up at him trembling in fear. "Why did you leave Las Noches?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Grimmjow said with a glare. "I've got enough from taking orders from a soul reaper. I'm a king and I've got enough of that shit. Also, why should I risk my life for someone who doesn't even give me credit for it?"

"Why did you leave? I always thought you would fulfill your orders like a good damn dog" Nnoitra said with a smug grin.

Ulquiorra's expression didn't show anything as he said: "I stayed around Las Noches after losing my fight. The soul reaper captains searched the place for us after they killed the remaining Espada. Neither Lord Aizen, Ichimaru or Tosen did return yet so I left too."

Nel who found her courage to speak again asked with a thin voice: "Itsygo… What's with Itsygo?"

Ulquiorra looked down at her with his green eyes, making her wince and stumble back.

"Itchigo Kurosaki was the one who defeated me" he told her. "I don't know exactly what happened afterwards but I guess he went after Lord Aizen. They must have been fighting." Tears gathered in Nel's eyes and she couldn't help but think about Ichigo being beat up by Aizen's crazy strong power. There was no way Ichigo could win against him…

"That guy better should have survived" Grimmjow growled. "I still intend to fight against him once more."

"Why, didn't you get your ass beaten often enough by that human?" Nnoitra said with a snicker making Grimmjow swing his sword at him but of course he dodged it.

"Stop it" Ulquiorra said calmly. "That's not the time for that. I overheard some conversations between the captains. They had searched the whole palace and killed everyone who was present. It seems like they want to get rid of all of Lord Aizen's allies, including us."

"Pesche… Dondochakka…" Nel said, afraid that something happened to her friends. "Do you know what happened to Nel's friends?" she asked the fourth Espada.

"How should I know? I don't remember some trash."

"Nel has to go back! Nel has to find out if they are okay!" she yelled and turned to run out of the cave but Nnoitra picked her up by the back of her shirt. "Let me go Nnoitra, Nel has to protect her friends!"

"You're not going anywhere. You heard Ulquiorra, they soul reapers already left so your stupid friends are either killed now or somewhere in the desert. You'll only get yourself killed if you go outside all by yourself. After all you're nothing but a pathetic crybaby, even the smallest Hollow could defeat you easily now."

"B-But Nel's friends…"

"They'll be fine" Nnoitra said rolling his eyes and pushing her inside the cave.

"What do you intend to do now, Ulqiorra?" Grimmjow asked him with a frown.

The black haired Espada closed his eyes for a moment before he sighed. "I'll stay here for now."

"Why are you here in the first place? Did you search us?" Nnoitra asked with a smirk sitting down on the ground, leaning against the cave wall.

"No" the Espada answered and stepped into the cave. "It was pure coincidence. Like I said, your yelling and spiritual pressure could be felt in a radius of a couple of kilometers."

"Shut up or I fucking kill you" Grimmjow growled and pointed his blade at Ulquiorra but he merely ignored it and leaned against the cave wall though he didn't relax, neither did the other two Espada.

The small group rested in the cave for several hours. Even though Nel was worrying sick about her friends she fell asleep soon, snoring slightly. The others were silent but neither of them even tried to sleep but kept a suspicious eye on the others.

* * *

Ichigo, Uryuu, Chad and Orihime were standing at the gate leading to the world of the living, ready to leave.

"Again thanks for you all your help" Rukia said smiling at them.

"No problem" Ichigo said smiling back down at the black haired soul reaper. "Just don't forget to inform us as soon as something happens, okay?"

"Of course we will inform you as long as you have your pass." Ichigo pulled it out of his clothes and waved with it.

"Don't worry, I won't lose it."

"Thank you for everything, Rukia" Orihime said and hugged her new best friend who hugged her back, chuckling.

"I think we should go now" Uryuu said and waved Rukia goodbye before turning to enter the gate. Chad followed, simply lifting his hand and nodding at the soul reaper. Orihime let go of her and hopped after them. Ichigo smiled at her once more. "See you, Rukia."

"Yes, until the next time Ichigo."

And then the substitute soul reaper was gone too.

* * *

When they decided to leave the cave Nnoitra kicked Nel, making her wake up with a yell and they stepped outside into the empty desert. Before they could make one step though, they were interrupted.

"I wouldn't have thought we'd find you that easily" a voice suddenly said. All four of them whirled around to see two people standing on top of a small hill with the moon in their backs.

"Who the hell are you?!" Grimmjow yelled and narrowed his eyes in trying to see them better. They disappeared from the hill and landed in front of them. The left person was a woman with black-blue hair, a skin as pale as Ulquiorra's and black eyes. Next to her was a man standing with a smile on his lips, brown hair, tanned skin, a scar on his cheek, and a muscular body. They both had swords placed at their sides and were dressed in an all too familiar outfit.

"You're soul reapers" Ulquiorra stated. Now he could sense the power spiritual pressure leaking from them, but before he hadn't even noticed them before they had called out. They surely were masters in hiding their spiritual pressure.

"Yes… yes we are" the woman said with a wide smile. "And you are the three current plus former Espada who managed to escape."

"Who are you and what do you want here?" Nnoitra asked gripping his weapon tighter while Nel hid behind his leg, once again cursing in her mind that she couldn't use her old power.

"Before we answer, may I ask you whether or not you're still loyal to Sosuke Aizen?" the woman asked with a friendly smile.

"Why do you want to know that, bitch?" Grimmjow asked with narrowed eyes. He didn't want to answer a stupid question but to battle and kill them.

"Nel's not loyal to that meanie! He hurt Itsygo, Nel's friend. Nel's only worried for him because he left her to battle Aizen but he has no chance of winning and-"

"Ichigo Kurosaki is fine" the man interrupted the hysterical Arrancar kid. "Yes he battled Aizen but was about to overpower him. However, Aizen escaped. That's why we want to ask you if you still feel loyalty to him."

"So that human is still alive huh?" Grimmjos asked with a smirk. "Good for him. And no, I'm not loyal to that bastard." He won't let himself being ordered around anymore, especially not by Aizen. He would take his own path.

"What else happened while we were absent?" Ulquiorra asked slightly curious.

"There was a big fight about Karakura town though it was faked. Ichimaru and Tosen both died during the battle as well as the second Espada and several other Arrancars."

"Damn, thereby I wanted to kill that blind fucker for destroying my arm" Grimmjow growled.

"The Espada Coyote Starrk and Tier Halibel as well as the Fracciónes of the latter were arrested and will probably be executed soon. Aizen, like I already said, escaped. Could you please answer our question now?" she asked politely.

"I don't care if I'm working for that guy as long as I've got something to cut open" Nnoitra said shrugging. "And that will now be you." He smirked, swinging his giant weapon around but the two soul reapers didn't show any reaction.

"What's with you?" the man asked looking at Ulquiorra who only starred back emotionlessly.

"If I should receive new orders, I will carry them out" he simply said after a pause, making Grimmjow snort at him.

"My name is Mai Tsukino and this is my partner Kohaku Mori" the woman finally introduced themselves and pointed first at herself and then at the male beside her. "We are called the Red Roses and are assassins working for the Soul Society." They both drew their swords simultaneously, pointing the blades at the small group. "We were sent here to kill you."

* * *

**Please review!  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Sudden visit

**I've got all of the Japanese translations from google translator. If something is wrong, please feel free to tell me so that I can fix it :)**

End of the previous chapter:  


_"My name is Mai Tsukino and this is my partner Kohaku Mori" the woman finally introduced themselves and pointed first at herself and then at the male beside her. "We are called the Red Roses and are assassins working for the Soul Society." They both drew their swords simultaneously, pointing the blades at the small group. "We were sent here to kill you."_

**Chapter 6: Sudden visit  
**

"Kill us? Are you fucking joking?" Grimmjow asked laughing loudly.

"We are not" the man, Kohaku, answered friendly. "Your deaths were decided by Central 46 and they sent us here to carry it out. You can struggle but it won't be of use."

"Tsk, I won't even need my full power to defeat both of you" the blue haired Espada said, smirking widely with sparkling eyes. "Now, who of you is the strongest?"

"We don't know" Mai, the female assassin, answered. "Why don't you find it out?" She just had finished the sentence when Grimmjow appeared in front of her, about to punch her in the stomach but she flashed away.

"Not bad" Grimmjow comment with a grin. "Let's see what else you can do, soul reaper."

Meanwhile Nnoitra had gripped his weapon, smirking at the man who observed him with a relaxed posture. "You don't look like you're ready to battle" he said swinging his weapon. "Too bad because I don't give a damn." The Espada attacked but the man drew his sword in the last moment, blocking the attack. Nel had ducked down into the sand while Ulquiorra observed the fighting.

"Make them suffer, Dokukatana (poison sword)!" the woman yelled and her Zanpakuto turned into its shikai form. It now was more expanded and had a larger blade.

In the same time Kohaku released his own shikai, saying: "Attack from the shadows and cut through everything, Tanken (dagger)." His sword then shortened, taking the form of a dagger. Nnoitra laughed.

"How do you think you can cut me with this tiny little thing?" Kohaku grinned.

"I now can focus most of my spiritual energy into this _tiny_ blade. Through this, it becomes sharper than every other blade and allows me to cut everything, including your skin which is very thick by the way."

"Ha, I'm the strongest Hierro of all Arrancars, that's why you'll never be able to cut me" the Espada said smirking, forgetting briefly the fact that Kenpachi Zaraki had actually managed to injure him.

"Let's try it" was everything the soul reaper said before they charged again.

Ulquiorra was still watching silently from the side lines when the assassins prevailed and their Zanpakutos ripped through the Espada's flesh. However, the wounds weren't that severe, the two Espada were able to block their further attacks and wounded the soul reapers themselves.

But something wasn't right… Ulquiorra thought, narrowing his eyes. If they were assassins, why hadn't they attacked right away? They had hid their spiritual pressures so perfectly that even he couldn't have sensed them. So why did they show themselves before they charged at them? Why not killing at least two of them with a surprise attack? And why did they want to know first whether they were still loyal to Lord Aizen or not?

It didn't make sense…

Grimmjow fired a zero at the woman but she flash stepped away with ease. She was indeed quick, the same went with the man who had avoided all the fatal blows of Nnoitra's weapon and instead already inflicted a deep wound in the Espada's chest and cut both of his arms, making it harder for him to swing the weapon with all of his strength.

Suddenly Grimmjow crashed into the ground. Groaning he tried to stand up right away but his legs were shaking and he fell to his knees. He was covered in sweat. His guts clenched together and he coughed. Blood spilled on the ground, painting the sand red. All of his strength had suddenly left him.

"You're finished. It's over." The soul reaper woman was landing next to him with her sword in her hand, locking down at him. Grimmjow growled, he wanted to snap her tiny neck in half, he wanted to break every single bone in her body, wanted to make her tremble in fear. But all he could was kneeling on the ground, breathing irregular, coughing up blood while it felt like his innards were crushed.

"W-What… What did y-you do to… me?" he asked weakly.

Mai smiled and raised her weapon. "My Zanpakuto, Dokukatana, in its shikai state its blade is covered in poison hence the name. One hit and the fight is mostly finished and you were hit several times by my poisonous sword. Like I said, it's over. You can either struggle or accept your fate, it won't matter. In a few minutes you'll be dead."

"Damn you! I will crush you!" he yelled and pulled his weak body into a standing stance by sheer will power. He wouldn't let himself be defeated by such a weak soul reaper! He would crush everyone standing in his way!

"Just give up." She kicked him and he flew into the sand. His whole body was shaking by the effect of the poison. He couldn't control one limb anymore.

No, he wouldn't lose in such a pathetic way… He had to stand up…

But his world was already turning black.

Mai turned to face the black haired Espada. "You must be Ulquiorra Cifer, the fourth Espada."

"That is correct" he said calmly, drawing his sword. She smirked.

"Excuse me; I'll fight you right away but first…"

* * *

Neliel was hiding behind a small hill while the others fought against the soul reapers who had appeared. Amazed and with big eyes she watched Nnoitra and Grimmjow fighting while Ulquiorra kept his distance.

Then Grimmjow suddenly collapsed on the ground. The woman said something about poison… The Espada didn't stand up anymore…

Fearfully she ducked further behind the hill. These two soul reapers surely had a big crazy mass of power if they could defeat the sixth Espada that easily!

Now the woman was facing Ulquiorra when she suddenly disappeared.

Suddenly Nel was picked up, a hand covered her mouth and the person carrying her disappeared from the scene via flash-step. Nel started to trash around violently, and finally was able to bite into her holder's hand. She heard a curse and then was dropped into the sand. Turning around she stared up to see the soul reaper woman, the assassin, standing there, holding her bleeding hand.

Nel wanted to say something, she wanted to ask her what she intended to do with her, but no word came out of her mouth as she only stood there, trembling in fear and horror. No way could she stand up to that powerful soul reaper. She would end up just like Grimmjow.

"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you" the woman said, smiling down at Nel. "It's actually quite the opposite. The fighting is about to get more intense and I want to bring you somewhere save. You know Ichigo Kurosaki, don't you?"

Nel's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Shall I bring you to him?"

"Yes" Nel managed to stutter out still staring at the assassin with big confused eyes.

The woman nodded with a smile and turned, lifting her arm into the air. A second later a garganta opened and the woman picked up Nel to step inside the garganta and started running over the clean straight silver path that was in front of her.

"Why are you helping Nel? Nel thought you came to kill us" she said looking up at the woman.

"You're not a threat to the Soul Society. Also you clearly are on our side and not on Aizen's and we don't kill cute little Arrancar" she joked, winking. Nel giggled and cheered at Mai to run faster. When they left the passage they landed high above in the night sky over Karakura town. The woman searched for the house of the Kurosaki family while Nel gazed down curiously as she never once had been in the world of the living before.

"Is this where Itsygo and his friends live?" she asked amazed by all the lights, buildings and the stars sparkling on the dark sky.

"Yes Nel" Mai said smiling and jumped down from her position onto the roof of a house. Jumping from one roof to another she soon got to the clinic. With Nel still in her arms she jumped up so that she stood directly in front of the window of Ichigo's room in which the light was still burning. She could make out his silhouette behind the cover. Mai knocked against the window and moments later a confused Ichigo opened the window to stare at them with a WTF face.

"Itsygo!" Nel yelled, jumped from Mai's arms and flew the short distance into Ichigo's arms. Luckily he caught her but was pushed back onto his bed by the impact.

"Nel?!" he asked looking down at the little Arrancar who cried into his shirt.

"Nel's so happy that you are alive, Nel was so worried! When Nel heard about your battle against Aizen and his super strong power, Nel thought you would have died against that meanie! Nel's so sorry she didn't come earlier! Did Itsygo miss Nel?" she asked looking up at him with snot running out of her nose and her eyes dwelling with tears.

"I-I-I… Of course I missed you Nel!" Ichigo replied as he finally found his words again. "But what are you doing here?" He then looked up to where Mai was sitting in his opened window, watching the scene with an amused smile. "Hey, you're that assassin! Does this mean that you finished your mission?" he asked with a frown but she shook slightly her head.

"Not yet but we decided to bring Neliel here somewhere save before we'll finish the rest." Ichigo nodded.

"Thank you."

"Hey Ichigo who is she?" Kon asked hopping onto the bed, looking from Mai to Nel and back. Surprisingly he didn't throw himself at the women, probably because neither of them had much of a bust size, at least not for Kon's taste.

"That doesn't have to concern you" Ichigo said annoyed, grabbed him and threw him away.

"Anyway, I have to go back now" Mai said, winking at him. "Oh and Ichigo, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes of course. What is it?"

"Don't mention this to anyone. I came here through a garganta but no one in Soul Society knows that we're capable to create them and I want to keep it a secret."

Even though Ichigo didn't quite understand why she wanted to keep it secret he nodded and she left with a wave to head back to Hueco Mundo.

"Whuah, Nel!" he cried out when he looked down at the little Arrancar. "Y-Your snot is on me again!"

She looked up at him with a big mass of snot coming out of her nose and dropping onto his pajama.

She grinned. "Nel's sorry, Nel takes care of that. See?" she said, sniffing back her snot back. Ichigo made a disgusted face.

"Oh how I missed you Nel…" he said sighing.

"Who the hell is that girl anyway?" Kon demanded to know once more, stepped next to the bed and stared up at Nel who stared back at him curiously.

"Kon, that's Nel, an Arrancar who we met in Hueco Mundo. Nel, that annoying thing over there is Kon, a mud soul and-"

"Cute!" she suddenly yelled and jumped down from the bed to hug Kon who was completely taken back. "Nel likes you; do you want to be Nel's friend? We can play eternal tag together with Itsygo and you can hunt Nel through this weird place!"

"Get off of me!" Kon yelled, trying to pray the clinging Arrancar off.

Ichigo, who started to recover from the scene, smirked down at the plushy. "The first time in your life you are being hugged by a woman, why don't you enjoy it?"

"Shut up Ichigo, she's a kid and not a woman! No way had she ever been a competition to my dearest Rukia or the beautiful Rangiku…" he said romanticizing over his fantasies of beautiful women and large breasts while Nel was still clinging to him. Ichigo just shook his head. If Kon would know how Nel was looking in her real form… he thought musing.

"Anyway, shut up you two before my dad or my sisters will notice the yelling and come in here" he growled, lying down on his bed.

Nel immediately stopped hugging the poor Kon to death and turned to Ichigo. "You have a family? Can Nel meet them?"

"Not now" he mumbled yawning. "Now go to sleep, both of you." Nel climbed on his bed and lay down next to him, cuddling into him. Ichigo smiled at her cute form while Kon settled down on Ichigo's stomach, grumbling and glaring at Nel who didn't notice it anymore because she already had fallen asleep, snoring.

But before Ichigo could fall asleep as well he suddenly felt a spiritual pressure appearing nearby. It almost felt like a garganta being opened…

He sat up, making Kon falling down from his chest with a thud. Before the plushy could protest Ichigo clamped his mouth shut, grabbed his Combat Pass and hit his soul out of his body with it.

"Take care of Nel" he instructed Kon, opened the window and then jumped out of it.

Ichigo ran through the streets, trying to pinpoint the location of the being that just had dropped into the world of the living. After some minutes he finally found it near the river but the spiritual pressure going from it was weak. He ran faster but then-

"Itsygo! Itsygooooo!" Jumping into the air he turned around to only have Nel hitting him with her head right in his stomach when she flew toward him.

"Nel, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"Itsygo just left Nel, Nel thought she would be a burden to Itsygo and he doesn't want her around anymore so he left and Nel went after him to tell him that she's sorry and he shouldn't leave!" She had grabbed his outfit and looked up at him crying.

"Nel, I didn't leave because of you. I just sent something strange and went to investigate" he said with a soft voice, trying to calm her down.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Is Itsygo sorry for leaving Nel?" He sighed, knowing full well where this was going.

"Yeah I'm sorry I left you just like that. What should I do now to proof it?"

Immediately the sadness in her expression had vanished and she smiled brightly but also slightly evilly at him. Suddenly she was out of his arms, jumped on his shoulder and took his Zanpakuto from his back.

"Hey, Nel! Give me back my Zanpakuto!"

"Try to catch Nel!" she yelled and razed down the street laughing. Ichigo cursed but since he hadn't another choice he ran after her. At least she was running into the right direction, he thought, as the weak spiritual pressure came closer.

Finally they arrived at the river bank but he wasn't the only one.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" he asked surprised his three friends. Uryuu had his bow in his hands, Chad had activated his right arm and they both faced something that must be lying in the grass behind them. He could see Orihime having activated her healing tent over whoever was there.

"You're late Ichigo" Uryuu said giving him a sharp glance.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" he tried to defend himself and then finally snatched his weapon back from the kid Arrancar who stared at the friends with an opened mouth and then run to where Orihime was.

"Anyway, what happened?" Ichigo asked as he came closer as well.

"We don't know" Uryuu said shrugging. "We just felt the spiritual pressure appear and all of us rushed here to investigate. And then we found _him._"

_He_ was an unconscious blue haired Espada whose wounds were treated and healed by the orange haired girl.

"Hi Ichigo" she said smiling up to him. He returned the smile and then looked down at Grimmjow with a frown.

"What happened to him?"

"He has severely wounds on his body but the worst thing is the poison in his system. I'm currently trying to bring his body in the status he was before he received the injuries but it will take some time."

"That crazy woman did this to him" Nel said. "They all suddenly started to fight and then Master Grimmjow dropped to the ground and the beautiful but scary woman said something about poison. Nel heard all of it! And then she went to pick up Nel and brought her to Itsygo."

"If that's the case maybe we shouldn't heal him then" Uryuu said frowning. "After all it's the assassin's job to kill them."

"Yeah but I won't just stay by doing nothing when someone is dying. No matter if it's an Arrancar or not" Ichigo replied and Orihime nodded.

"In that case you should move him to another place instead of staying here" a voice suddenly called out from the shadows and an all too familiar figure stepped into the light of the street lamps.

"Kisuke!" Ichigo said when recognizing the shop owner.

"Good evening everyone" he said smiling, with the green-white hat like usually pulled down his face.

* * *

**Please review!  
**


	7. Chapter 7: He's back

**Chapter 7: He's back**

The group walked back to Urahara's shop. Chad and Ichigo were supporting the still unconscious Grimmjow and Orihime had Nel in her arms. When they arrived, the orange haired girl went into a separate room to continue healing the Espada while Tessai and Jinta accompanied her to keep Grimmjow from doing any harm to her if he would wake up. The rest of the group sat down around a small table with Ururu serving them tea.

"Miss Neliel do you mind telling us what happened in Hueco Mundo?" Kisuke asked Nel who started telling right away.

"That's odd" Uyuu commented after she had finished. He touched his glasses while frowning.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"Seeing that the Red Roses are assassins, one would think they would have attacked the Espada right away but instead they showed themselves and asked them these weird questions. I mean, why did they ask the Espada whether or not they'd be still loyal to Aizen if they were planning to kill them anyway? Grimmjow surely denied it and still got almost poisoned."

"Yeah now that you mention it, it seems to be a little odd, but maybe that's just their style. I'm just glad that they brought Nel here before" he said putting a hand on the cracked mask of the kid Arrancar, smiling down at her. She grinned back.

In this moment the door slid open and Jinta came in. "Hey that blue haired Hollow-thing just woke up."

"Well then, let's hear what he has to say" Kisuke who had been quiet the whole time said and stood up. The others followed him while Jinta and Ururu stayed in the room.

Orihime was in a safe distance away from the now fully awake Grimmjow while Tessai had restrained the Espada with a kido spell, binding his arms and feet onto the ground with yellow reiatsu but that didn't stop the panther from yelling and cursing loudly.

"What the hell is the meaning of all this shit?! Get these fucking things off me!" he yelled, trying to sit up, pushing against the restraints but failed to get free.

"Please Mister Grimmjow, don't push yourself or you'll open your wounds again" Orihime said, trying to calm him down but he just snorted and glared hatefully at the entering Ichigo.

"Kurosaki" he spat out.

"Calm down Grimmjow" Ichigo said calmly, leaning against the wall. "We found you unconscious by the river, you were poisoned and Orihime saved your life. You should be more thankful." The blue haired growled at this.

"Nel told us about the Red Roses, the assassins, fighting you. What happened afterwards?" the substitute soul reaper asked. This made Grimmjow finally giving up fighting against the restraints. He glanced at Neliel who stared back with big eyes. Then he looked away and mumbled: "That bastard came. That's what happened."

"Who do you mean?" Ichigo asked frowning. Kisuke just lowered his head so that his hat covered his face. He had a feeling of what Grimmjow was about to tell them…

* * *

When the assassin named Mai stepped through the garganta back into the desert, Nnoitra was hunched over, panting heavily, holding his bleeding chest while Grimmjow was still lying on the ground, conscious but weak. However, the other assassin also had received severely heavy wounds. Blood was painting the sand red.

"What do you think, Kohaku? Is he worthy enough to match the request?" she asked grinning and her partner smirked back at her.

"Yeah, I think that guy is. We should contact him, he will be pleased."

"There's no need to do this" a calm male voice said and a tall man in a white robe appeared. He had brown hair with some strands hanging into his face, his right eye was brown while his left one was yellow with purple around it, and the ever present small smile was around his lips.

"You did great, Mai, Kohaku." The three Espada looked at him bewildered, shocked, surprised.

"Hello my fellow Espada" he addressed them calmly while the Red Roses appeared by his side.

"Lord Aizen" Ulquiorra said as he was the first one who got over the brief shock. The expression on his face was like always blank of any emotion, the only reaction of him was a short widening of his eyes.

Nnoitra narrowed his eyes. "What is the fucking meaning of all this?" he demanded to know, looking from the Red Roses to Aizen. "I thought they were from the soul society."

"They are but now they're also working with me" Aizen explained calmly. "You don't need to know why; it's not of any interest in the moment. Mai, why brought you the one Arrancar away?" he asked glancing at the soul reaper woman through the corners of his eyes. She shrugged.

"Even though she once was your third Espada, she is now weak and wouldn't be of any use of you. Also we still have our morals. We don't kill innocents."

"Well, it doesn't matter. What is of importance is that I ask you, my dear Espada, to join me once again. The plan didn't fail; it was only an unfortunate turn of events but nothing to worry about. The Hyogoku is still ours and I still plan on overthrowing the soul society. Would you accompany me?"

"Like I already told them, I don't care as long as I get to kill something" Nnoitra said shrugging.

"What's your order Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra said, lowering his head in respect.

"Damn you bastard" Grimmjow growled. He was fighting against unconsciousness; the poison was still running through his system, bringing him closer to death by every passing second.

Aizen looked down at him, smiling coldly. "Grimmjow… It's sad but not surprising to see your lack of loyalty. As a result you lie here on the ground, beaten, and left for death" he calmly said, making the Espada growl.

"You asshole, I'll cut your fucking head off Aizen!" he hissed glaring with hatred but Aizen only smirked.

Shaking Grimmjow pulled every last ounce of his strength together, getting into a kneeling position.

"Give it up, you're already defeated and can impossibly hope to even come close me" Aizen said but Grimmjow only snorted. He knew that the ex-soul reaper said was the truth. In his current condition, with the poison weakening every part of his body, he would collapse in front of everyone's eyes before he could even take a step. He only had once chance to get out of there, even if it meant to do something he hated. He had to retreat.

Summoning the last bit of spiritual pressure he had Grimmjow opened a garganta, big enough for him to slip through. The last thing he saw was the little group from which he would kill everyone.

The sixth Espada lost consciousness even before he hit the ground in the world of the living.

* * *

"Aizen… So he is back again" Ichigo growled narrowing his eyes. "That bastard!"

"That surely is unpleasant to hear" Kisuke meant with a sigh. He had figured that Grimmjow would tell something like that but still… The Red Roses being traitors too was indeed an unpleasant surprise.

"I can't believe that they follow Aizen too" Ichigo said frowning, remembering the conversation he had with the assassins.

"Well, they would have failed in their job if you would have suspected it. Yuroichi" he then addressed the black haired cat-woman who just had appeared behind him, "I want you to go to the soul society immediately and report what we just heard." She nodded and disappeared.

"Wait, what should we do?" Ichigo asked as he couldn't sit around now that Aizen had made his move.

"I'll prepare a gate for you right away but first we should wait for the reaction from soul society."

"Kurosaki, you better let your hands off Aizen. He's my prey to kill."

"Sorry Grimmjow, but that won't happen."

"You damn bastard!" the blue haired Espada yelled, once again struggling against the kido spell. Getting enough of the Espada Tessai knocked him out with another spell.

"What should we do with him?" Uryuu asked pushing up his glasses.

"Now that the Red Roses are also marked as traitors the negotiations will become futile and Central 46 will judge the imprisoned Arrancar quickly guilty. I can imagine that they will also demand us to hand over Grimmjow in which case I want you to take him with you into soul society" he explained looking over the small group. Everyone nodded.

"Good, then we should better prepare."

* * *

_Meantime_

"That's not good" Shunsui said looking at the hole in the bars.

"I knew that the Espada are powerful but to be that powerful to break through the cell just like that…?" Nanao Ise, lieutenant of squad 8, said and pushed her glasses up her nose. She and her captain were standing in front of the cell that had previously meant to imprison Coyote Starrk, the first Espada. However, now the cell was empty and the bars were broken apart.

They had been the first ones to appear at the scene after they had gotten the message that someone found the unconscious guards in front of the entrance to the underground prison.

"But if he was able to break out, why are the female Espada and their Fracciónes still here?" Nanao asked frowning.

She was right, Tier Halibel and the others were still in their cells but they refused to tell anyone what could have happened. Instead her Fracciónes yelled at and insulted every soul reaper that had tried to get an answer out of them so far.

"Let me try to have a word with them" Shunsui said and turned around to walk to where the women were.

"How dare you speaking like that to me you ugly soul reaper!" Apacci yelled when once again someone tried to question her about the incident.

"Talking back to him only makes you appear weak as well."

"Shut your mouth Sung-Sun!"

"Hey ladies, don't tell me that you're fighting again?" Shunsui said smiling when he stepped into the scene.

"Captain Kyoraku, Lieutenant Ise!" the soul reaper said, bowing to them, grateful that they had arrived.

"You did a good job but you can leave now" Shunsui said friendly to him. Relief was shown on his face as now he hadn't to deal with the furies any longer.

"Y-Yes Captain Kyoraku, thank you and good luck!" he called out when he disappeared to find an easier thing to do.

"What are _you_ doing here again?" Apacci asked, glaring at him.

"Please don't give me that look; I only wanted to ask you nicely some questions."

"Is that your new drinking buddy as a replacement of the sick one?" Mila Rose asked, glancing at Nanao who furrowed her brows and glared at her captain. Shunsui winced, chuckling sheepishly.

"Oh no, that is my lieutenant, the beautiful and admirable Nanao who-"

He was interrupted when she smacked his head with her folder.

"Don't come at me with that! I searched the whole evening after you but you were down here, drinking sake?!"

He quickly held up his hands as defense. "If I would have known that you're so worried about me, I would have told you something but-"

"I wasn't worried about you one bit!" she snapped, still glaring at him.

"What do you want here, soul reaper captain?" Tier asked looking at him with her arms crossed under her breasts. "If it's about Starrk, I've got nothing to say to you" she continued, interrupting the captain as he just had opened his mouth, and glanced at Nanao. Shunsui understood.

"My sweetest Nanao, would you please leave us alone for some while?" She frowned.

"But Captain I-"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just let me talk to these ladies for a little, okay?" Nanao simply nodded and after throwing a suspicious glance to the third Espada she was gone. Shunsui turned back to face Tier.

"So, what happened?"

The woman closed her eyes for a moment and when she reopened them she started telling: "Of course we didn't exactly see ourselves what happened, but Starrk certainly didn't escape all by himself. He was saved by someone."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"It's because some minutes earlier someone appeared in front of my cell as well. I couldn't see who it was, the person was dressed in a black robe that covered everything but it wasn't the robe of a soul reaper. This person, a man, only asked me whether I am still loyal to Aizen or not."

"Yeah, we told him to fucking leave and to never mention that traitor's name again!" Apacci exclaimed but got silent right away after receiving a sharp look from Tier.

"Yes, we denied the question and the person disappeared. Moments later we heard loud noises which were coming from Starrk's cell and that was it."

"I see…" Shunsui said thoughtfully. "Well, thank you very much for the report, I really appreciate it."

"What the hell is going on here anyway?" Mila Rose asked sharply. "Who was that person?"

Shunsui was silent for a moment and then sighed. "That's a really good question…"

* * *

**So Aizen reappears… I made him disappear during the fight with Ichigo but before the Final Getsuga Tensho... But I certainly don't want him to look like a freaking butterfly or the other form, so I decided that he should look like shortly before he was sealed away. Back then his appearance was at least decent…**

**I hope you liked that chapter! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8: The right opportunity

**A lot of Thanks to Antex- The Legendary Zoroark for all the wonderful reviews! It always makes me happy to see that people are actually reading the stuff I'm writing – and that they like it!**

**Have fun reading the next chapter!**

**Chapter 8: The right opportunity**

After Aizen had appeared, he, the Espada and the Red Roses had returned to Las Noches. The whole building was completely empty now. Nobody and nothing was left.

The individuals of the group split apart as soon as they arrived and Aizen walked into the surviving room. But of course most of it was gone too, probably taken by Mayuri. But it didn't matter. He grabbed into his pocket and pulled out the object which had helped him during the last centuries developing and manifesting his plan: the Hogyoku.

Smiling and still fascinated by it Aizen looked down at the crystal. It wasn't shimmering anymore in the same way it used to. Also it had changed. It felt like it had distanced itself from Aizen, wanting to deny complying with him. But Aizen wasn't worried about it. It was only a question of time until he would be at his full power again and then the Hogyoku would serve him once more.

Everything would just play out fine…

* * *

"Lady Yoruichi, what are you doing here?" Soi Fon asked when she entered the captain's assembly place in the barracks of squad one. The head captain had called all of the captains to the meeting. However, Soi Fon's previous superior was also in the room, standing by Yamamoto's side but then she stepped to the end of captains' line when the others arrived.

Yoruichi glanced at the small black haired captain and smiled at her but said nothing though the smile alone was enough to make Soi Fon flush slightly.

"I see that the empty captains' seats had been filled again" she said as Rose, Kensei and Shinji entered. The latter grinned at her.

"Yoruichi, it's nice seeing you again." This made Soi Fon glare at him but then Genryuusai Yamamoto started the meeting.

"Captains of the 13 court guard squads as well as Yoruichi Shihoin, I called you all in for an important matter regarding the Red Roses and Aizen."

"That sounds important but if you don't mind old man I'd like to say something first" Shunsui said seriously, lowering his head respectfully. Yamamoto looked at him with narrowed eyes but nodded. He knew that the eighth captain wouldn't interrupt him if it wouldn't be urgent. And so Shunsui told everyone about the escape of the first Espada and what Tier Halibel had told him.

"That makes sense…" Yoruichi meant after that thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked and the former captain told them about the happenings in the world of the living.

"So Aizen makes his move and is gathering the surviving Espada around him again…" Toshiro Hitsugaya said with narrowed, hateful eyes. He still wanted to slash that bastard up for what he had done to Momo!

"Those surely are some bad news." Shunsui sighed.

"I never would have thought that Mai and Kohaku would be traitors."

"Me neither, Soi Fon" Yoruichi said. "But I don't think that Grimmjow lied. I guess it was Kohaku then who freed the first Espada. And because of the women's rejection regarding their loyalty to Aizen he left them in prison."

"Where's that Grimmjow now if I may ask?" Mayuri asked curiously. "I'd still like to have at least one Espada as a test subject before they all run away."

"I don't think that you'll get that one as a test subject, Captain Kurotsuchi. But Kisuke is already preparing a Senkai gate. Ichigo and the others will bring the Espada into the Soul Society."

"Ichigo's coming? That's good to hear." Kenpachi had a wide grin on his face.

"Indeed it is" Shinji said, also smirking though not as wicked as Kenpachi.

* * *

The moment Aizen felt them enter Las Noches he walked out of the surviving room and toward their position.

Starrk was supported by Kohaku. He looked weak and drained but that would pass.

"Coyote Starrk, it's nice seeing you here again" Aizen greeted the Espada with his smooth voice while he nodded at the assassin.

Starrk slightly bowed before asking: "Do you need me now, Lord Aizen? Because I'd like to take a nap, I'm incredibly tired…" As if to proof it he yawned.

Aizen smiled. "No, you can go." As the first Espada was gone the former captain turned to the Red Rose. "I guess that means that Tier didn't want to come?"

Kohaku shook his head. "No, her Fracciónes called me all kind of profanities instead. They must be really angry at you."

"That's only reasonable" was all Aizen said to it, chuckling to himself as he remembered him 'cutting his losses'.

"May I ask what our next steps will be? By now the soul society should have realized that Mai and I are traitors."

"We are waiting for the right opportunity to come. And then we invade the Soul Society and overthrow them."

"Sounds good" he said though Aizen's answer hadn't exactly gotten much new info. "Mai and I will look around. Inform us when the right opportunity will be there" he said and then left.

Aizen chuckled lowly. He knew that Kohaku wasn't very fond of him and was mistrusting Aizen, a smart move. The Red Rose didn't even try to hide it, but he was Mai's partner. Both of them were sticking together, as long as Mai would be loyal to Aizen, Kohaku would too. And the woman was loyal to him. Or else she would have revealed his true identity long ago.

_"__You can stop hiding woman. I know you're there" Aizen called out calmly, looking over his left shoulder and up to the trees. Together with Gin and Kaname he was standing in front of the failed experiments of hollowfication. _

_Something rustled and then a girl jumped down from the trees. _

_"__Oh my, I think I just witnessed a mass murder and a failed attempt to hollowfy these poor people" she said but her voice didn't show any shock, horror or sadness. Instead she seemed to be rather amused._

_"__Her appearance isn't part of the plan. Shall I kill her?" Kaname asked, stepping forward, about to draw his sword._

_"__Wait, Kaname" Aizen said calmly, never stopping having eye contact with the black-blue haired teenager girl who like him had a small smile on her lips._

_"__Who are you?"_

_She curtsied. "My name's Mai Tsukino, I'm a member of the stealth force and squad 2. I already knew for some time now that you were planning something, Lieutenant Sosuke Aizen."_

_"__Oh, you were? And why if I may ask aren't any stealth force members surrounding us in the moment? You weren't foolish enough to encounter us on your own, weren't you?" _

_She laughed. "Sorry, but it's just plain old me who's here. I didn't inform anyone about your little secret. But if you mean with encounter that I would start to fight you you're wrong. I simply followed you because I had you under suspicion for quite some time and was curious of what your plans are." She shifted her gaze to look at the persons on the ground. "Well, now I know I guess."_

_"__If you don't want to start fighting, what do you intend to do then?"_

_She put her pointing finger to her chin, thinking. "I don't know… I guess I should report the incident" she said, making Kaname go tense and drawing his sword. "But then again I doubt that it would be good for me so I guess I'll act as I haven't seen anything but arrived at the scene too late to save these people." She paused before continuing: "I guess that the fact of them lying on the ground means that it was a fail?"_

_"__You guessed correctly, sadly" Aizen replied with a smile, his curiosity about that woman growing with every second. Maybe he could add her to his plan…_

_"__Well then, I'm curious to see whether or not you will be successful in turning soul reapers into Hollows and especially the other way around. That surely would be interesting. If you don't have anything against it I'd like to get away from the crime scene now before anyone arrives." She smiled, bowed and disappeared after Aizen had nodded, giving her permission._

_"__Do you really think it was a wise decision to let her live?" Kaname asked frowning while Gin was still standing next to his side, smirking widely. _

_"__We'll see…"_

Now Aizen was glad he let her live because she actually showed herself to be quite useful and beneficial to his plan. And as long as she would follow him, Kohaku would do so too.

* * *

Some hours passed until the head captain got the report of the arrival of the substitute soul reaper, his friends, as well as the Espada.

Immediately he let the other captains being informed and minutes later they were all gathered together in the meeting room again, with Yuroichi, Ichigo and a chained pissed-off Grimmjow. Orihime, Uryuu and Chad weren't allowed to participate and had left with Rukia and Renji to wait for the meeting to be over while exchanging the newest information.

"Central 46 had come up with a decision regarding the latest events."

"Wow, that was quick" Shinji commented. "Normally they need at least weeks to decide anything."

"Hey Shinji, I didn't notice you until now. Is this a captain's robe you're wearing? Glad to see that you're back in business again." Shinji's face dropped and he looked at Ichigo with a growl.

"I see you didn't change a bit, as well as your intelligence."

"Quiet!" Yamamoto exclaimed to continue: "Their decision is to execute the prisoners and trace down Aizen, the Red Roses and the other Espada to kill them. That's final!" As to proof it Yamamoto hit his cane on the floor.

"Well that's not surprising" Toshiro meant.

"You will never manage to kill me you fucking soul reapers!" Grimmjow yelled angrily, glaring at everyone in the room in hate. "I'll rip you all apart!"

"I'd like to see you try" Kenpachi said grinning and took a step forward, gripping his sword.

The Espada growled. He didn't care that his power was sealed away through the chains he was wearing. He didn't care that he was in a room full of powerful captains. He didn't care that he didn't even had his sword.

He was the sixth Espada! He would never bow down and surrender! He wouldn't die! He was the king!

Suddenly soul reapers appeared next to Grimmjow and dragged him out of the meeting room.

"What the fuck? Let me go! Shitty soul reaper fuckers! I'll make you all pay!" The two giant doors closed and the soul reapers continued dragging a yelling and cursing Grimmjow through the Seiretei toward the underground prison where they threw him into an empty cell next to Tier, Mila Rose, Apacci and Sung-Sun.

"Well look at who is here…" Sung-Sun said and looked down at Grimmjow from her cell opposite to his.

Grimmjow growled and hit against the bars with full force but they didn't even move a bit. "You fuckers, come back here!" he yelled but the soul reapers quickly hurried out of the prison.

"Great, another loud idiot" Mila Rose mumbled.

"You're the right one to say that, screamer."

"Shut it Sung-Sun!"

"Hey Grimmjow, what happened to your pitiful form?" Apacci asked with a grin.

"Fuck you bitch!" he spat.

"What happened to the others? Were they caught too?" Tier Halibel asked from the cell next to Grimmjow.

"Tsk no… They joined that fucker Aizen." He gripped the bars, clutched them, imagining them to be the neck of the former captain which he strangled, cutting his air off, enjoying seeing him suffer, until he would snap Aizen's tiny neck.

The women looked at him surprised. "So that bastard showed himself again?" Mila Rose wanted to know. The panther just nodded, still lost in his revenge thoughts.

"Maybe the guy who freed Starrk had something to do with him?" Sung-Sun mumbled.

"Grimmjow, what else happened outside?" Tier asked. The blue haired Espada let go of the cell bars and sat down on the small bed before starting to tell them what had happened from them leaving Las Noches up to the soul reaper's decision to execute them all.

"Damn, maybe we should have let that Red Rose guy taking us out of here just to kill him afterward" Apacci growled.

"What should we do now, Lady Halibel?" Mila Rose asked her with a frown. Tier closed her green eyes. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed underneath her chest and just said: "Right now there isn't much we can do. We have to wait for the right opportunity to come and then strike. Even if I have to sacrifice myself to make sure that you can escape, I won't let them kill you."

* * *

"Here you are Ichigo." The substitute soul reaper turned around. He was standing in an alley somewhere in the Seiretei when Uryuu jumped down from a roof. "The others got worried when you didn't return after the captain's meeting was over."

"Oh sorry, that mad bastard Kenpachi wanted to fight me right after."

"So you ran away?"

"No! I'm just avoiding him! No way am I going to fight that beast again! By the way I didn't know you'd be worried about me, Uryuu" he replied with a grin, making the Quincy glare at him.

"I wasn't worried, the others were; especially Orihime. I just wanted to do her a favor and find you before you got lost and wouldn't find a way back." Now he was the one smirking.

"Whatever… I don't feel his spiritual pressure nearby so I guess I can leave now" Ichigo said and stepped out of the alley with Uryuu following him.

"So, how was the captain meeting?"

Ichigo shrugged, peeking around the next corner before continuing their way. "Central 46 wants to execute Grimmjow and the others before the captains will start chase Aizen down. If we want we can stay and support them."

"I already figured that this would happen" Uryuu said nodding and touched his glasses.

"Yeah…" Ichigo said. "But it still feels wrong. I mean Aizen doesn't show interest in them, he even wanted to kill the two Espada and they hate him!"

"Yes but that doesn't meant that they are on our side, Ichigo. We are also their enemies. They'd attack us as soon as they'd be free."

"I know that!" Ichigo exclaimed, remembering how Grimmjow had beaten him down in the streets of Karakura town while laughing like a maniac. "But I still wonder if killing them is really the only way and- Oh crap!"

"What is it, Ichigo?" Uryuu asked him, halting.

"I can feel his presence nearby!" Ichigo hissed and dashed away. It seemed like Yachiru for once had led Kenpachi into the right direction. Uryuu cursed under his breath and followed Ichigo. When they had taken some space in between them and their pursuer they walked in a normal pace again.

"Great, now we're even farther away from the others than we were before."

"Hey, don't blame me! I'm just saving my life!"

* * *

**Some years later: Ichigo is still running away from Kenpachi who is led constantly in wrong directions by Yachiru hehe ;)**

**Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9: Uneasiness

**Hello my dear readers! Before you start to read the new chapter, please read this: During the past week there was a project week called *Enter the digital tomorrow 2039* on my University. My group got the topic *Will journalists be the losers of the digital revolution?* There will be a price for the most viewed/best video. It would be sooooooo kind, nice, great and awesome if you'd check out the video and even like it! **

** youtube dot com/watch?v=HOnrcInU0qw**

**Oh yes: The title is German, but don't worry, the rest is English ;)**

**Thank you already! **

**Now, on with the story!**

**Chapter 9: Uneasiness**

"That way, Kenny!" Yachiru ordered.

"Are you sure Yachiru? I think I feel their spirit energy over there" Kenpachi said and pointed into the opposite direction of where she wanted to lead him.

"Yes I am to 80 Percent absolutely sure!"

"80 Percent is not absolutely."

"Oh shut up! Did you forget already that you're the one who's only running around? I give here the directions! So stop complaining and follow my lead or you can go on without me!"

"Okay okay…" he said holding is hands up to calm her down.

"Well then let's go Kenny! Turn right!" But Kenpachi stayed where he was, still looking into the direction of where he thought Ichigo might be.

"Sorry Yachiru. I'll give you a bag of sweets as an excuse" he said and turned left.

"I want to have two! And in the future I won't ever give you directions again!"

* * *

Ichigo and Uryuu made their way through the labyrinth of alleys and streets in the Seireitei. Their walk was mostly quiet; neither of them did say a word.

"Hey Ichigo…"

"Hm?" the substitute asked, turning to look at his friend over his shoulder.

"Don't you feel this-"

"Ha, got you!"

"Hey Icchy!"

Ichigo jumped into the air when suddenly Kenpachi with Yachiru looking over his shoulder dashed out from a crossing street into their way. The captain had a wide scary wicked smirk placed on his lips and stared at Ichigo with sparkling eyes.

"Finally I can fight you once again."

"K-Kenpachi…" Ichigo finally was able to say. His face had become completely pale and he stumbled back from the mad man.

"If you would be better in sensing spiritual energy, you would have known that they were coming closer" Uryuu said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Shut up! You could have told me!"

"Draw your sword Ichigo and let's have some fun."

"Yeah, make Kenny happy Icchy!"

"No way! I'm out of here!" Ichigo whirled around and flash stepped away as quick as he could.

"You won't escape from me this time Ichigo!" Kenpachi yelled and dashed after him while Yachiru clung to his shoulder laughing.

"Yay, get him Kenny!"

Sweat dropping Uryuu looked after the departing dust cloud. With a sigh he continued his way to where Orihime and Chad were. He certainly won't help Ichigo in getting away from the bloodthirsty captain. After all he was a Quincy and Ichigo still a substitute soul reaper.

* * *

Tier Halibel was still leaning against the wall, her eyes closed and her arms crossed while her Fracciónes and Grimmjow tossed insults and curse words at each other, yelling so loud that it was heard throughout the whole prison. Suddenly though she could hear the sound of footsteps coming closer through all the noises. The third Espada straightened up and peeked out of her cell, curiously of who was now coming down to visit them.

A minute later none other than an exhausted and heavy-breathing Ichigo Kurosaki was standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Kurosaki, what the hell are you doing here?" Grimmjow asked glaring at him.

"You're the human with hollow powers, the one who defeated Ulquiorra and Aizen" Sung-Sun said, holding her sleeve to her mouth and watching him with curious eyes.

"Yeah and let not forget that he totally beat Grimmjow." Apacci chuckled.

Grimmjow only growled and grumbled something under his breath while giving her a death glare which she ignored with a smirk.

"What do you want here?" Tier asked, staring at him with her green eyes.

"First of all I need someplace to hide from that bastard Kenpachi" he said. He was still slightly out of breath from the chase. "Second, I'd like to ask you something."

"Tsk like hell I'd answer you" the panther growled.

"You don't even know what I want to ask you!" Ichigo yelled.

"I still refuse, unless of course you open the cell." He grinned.

"Like Hell I will. I already have enough problems with Kenpachi running around and wanting to fight me."

"So you're running away?" Mila Rose said.

"No, I'm not! I just don't want to die yet."

"What is it you want to ask, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Tier asked as she became tired of all the battling though she didn't show it.

Ichigo turned to her and in an instant he became serious again. "Well, I know that neither of you will follow Aizen again but I wonder… What do you think of the Soul Society?"

"They threw us into that cell, locked us away and want to execute us! What do you believe we think of them?!" Apacci exclaimed loudly, making Ichigo wince.

"Okay I get it! You don't have to yell like that, jeez… But what if they would let you out of the cells and don't execute you… what then?" he slowly asked further. Now all eyes were on him.

"What do you want to say with that?" Mila Rose asked carefully, looking at him skeptical. Sung-Sun tilted her head to the side.

"Well…" Ichigo started, staring at the ceiling while searching for words "I just would like to know who our true enemy is. The 13 captains say that you'd attack us as soon as you'd be free again. That's why they don't do anything against the judgment despite of you not being on Aizen's side. I just want to know if it's true."

For some minutes it was untypically silent in the prison. They all just stared at Ichigo; confused, doubting, even a little hopeful.

"The soul reaper captains and lieutenants are strong. Attacking them would lead only to big useless sacrifices that could be avoided. If I and my Fracciónes would be free, we'd retreat. We don't want to have anything to do with the Soul Society or Aizen anymore" Tier finally answered and the three other women nodded. They'd do as Tier Halibel would say.

Ichigo smiled slightly, nodding in understanding. "What about you, Grimmjow?" he then asked and looked to the panther.

"I don't know… I guess that when I'd be out of here I'd chase that bastard Aizen and those two soul reaper fuckers down and kill them slowly and painfully. And after that I'd fight you again, Kurosaki" he said grinning evilly.

"Great… Another Kenpachi" Ichigo mumbled. "Just what I needed…"

"Ichigo! Are you down here? Where the hell have you run off to? Come out of your hiding and fight me!"

"Yeah Icchy, come out! I want my two bags of sweets! Make Kenny happy so that he'll give me some more!"

"Hey wait; I never said that, Yachiru."

Ichigo cursed and in a blink of an eye the corridor was empty once again and the substitute soul reaper was gone. Not a minute later Kenpachi Zaraki stepped to the spot where Ichigo had been standing, with Yachiru laughing and waving at the prisoners.

"Hey you, have you seen Ichigo Kurosaki here?" he asked the Arrancars. "Tall, orange hair, dressed in a soul reaper outfit, a big sword on his back…?"

"Kurosaki left just a minute ago." Grimmjow said and pointed to the left. "He went that way."

Kenpachi grinned, nodded at the Espada and dashed away. Even a few seconds later Yachiru's laughter still echoed throughout the prison.

* * *

"There's no turning back now, right?" Mai turned her head when Kohaku sat down next to her onto the rubbles.

"No... Now we're official traitors and will soon be chased down" she said softly, gazing outside through one of the holes in the wall into the dark desert with the lonely bright moon. The faked blue sky that once had decorated the dome over Las Noches had been shattered and was now gone.

"And you're still sure about it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her in question. His partner though nodded firmly.

"Yes… I am sure. And I'm thankful that you're here with me." She looked at him smiling. He returned the smile.

"I will always follow you Mai. You should know that by now." She chuckled and looked back into the outside world.

"Captain Soi Fon surely is thinking right now about a million ways how she can kill us in the most cruel way" Kohaku said after a while, shuddering.

Mai laughed. "Yes, we should definitely try to avoid her and Captain Shihoin in the future."

Kohaku then frowned and let his gaze wander over the dunes. "I'm curious of when Aizen will make his next move. And what it will be."

"So am I" she said nodding. "But until then we can't do anything but waiting."

* * *

Uneasy and restless Ulquiorra Cifer walked through the corridors of Las Noches. Some of them were crumbled down from the fights which had taken place between the Arrancars and intruders. Some of them had been destroyed by Ulquiorra himself during his fights with Ichigo Kurosaki. That human…

Ulquiorra looked around the destroyed room he just had stepped in. It was where he had killed Ichigo Kurosaki for the first time. Back then he never would have believed that the one he had considered as simple trash would once be worth destroying… and finally be the one who would defeat and nearly kill him!

It was still so absurd that a simple human should be better than him… Sure, Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't an ordinary human. But even though he was partly a Hollow, if he hadn't transformed into one in the end of their fight he would have had no chance of winning against the fourth Espada. But he had.

Was this also one result of having a heart? Had his urge to protect that woman been so strong that he even had risen from the death, being several times stronger than he had been before?

Ulquiorra left the damaged room and continued his walk.

What was a heart? There was a part of him, deep down in his mind, that wanted to know the answer to this question… that wanted to feel it itself.

Ulquiorra quickly pushed that absolutely ridiculous thought away. He was a Hollow. Such a human thing like a heart was just foolish. It was a weakness, nothing else.

The fourth Espada stopped, looking at the gape in the wall next to him. His eyes widened when he recognized the room lying behind it.

Without noticing it he had walked right to the chamber where this woman had been held. He looked inside the now empty room, imaging her fragile weak form standing under the window, gazing outside before turning her head to look at him with her big grey eyes.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Instantly the image vanished.

This was all just so ridiculous! When did he become like that?! He shouldn't think about hearts, the human-hollow and definitely not about that woman.

_"__Maybe I'm able to read your movements because I've become more like a Hollow… or maybe it's because you've become more human."_

What nonsense…

The next time they'd meet he would definitely kill this trash, once and for all.

With that in mind Ulquiorra left the destroyed room and continued his travel through Las Noches.

However, the uneasy restlessness stayed.

* * *

Coyote Starrk was lying in between his cushions which surprisingly survived the soul reapers' invasion. But there was still a problem. He just couldn't fall asleep! He was already lying on his pile of pillows in his room for some hours now. He was deadly tired, his body was glad to finally lie on cushions instead of the cell floor; but his mind still denied him the blessing sleep.

Why? He didn't know. He never once had the problem of not falling asleep before. It actually had always been the opposite that sometimes he had to force himself to keep awake. He even had managed to fall asleep with Lilynette jumping up and down on him.

Lilynette…

Her smiling face appeared in his mind once again. Her angry stare when he was too lazy to do anything... Their little drabbles... She in her wolf forms... Them fighting together, side by side... Her motivation to win a battle while he just wanted to pull back… She, protecting him from the soul reaper captain's attack… That horrifying moment as he couldn't hear her voice anymore…

"Starrk! Don't lie there pitying yourself! Stand up and show them!"

Her all too familiar voice made Starrk nearly jump from his pillows. He looked around the room frantically, hopefully. But she wasn't there.

"L-Lilynette?" he asked carefully, listening. Complete silence was the only thing answering him except for his own quick heartbeat thundering in his ears.

With a long sigh he sank back into his pillows. He just had imagined her voice. The part of his soul he once split was now gone. She was gone. Forever.

In that moment he wished that he had died along with her. He wished that this soul reaper captain would have killed him. Or that he hadn't killed Lilynette.

However, Starrk wasn't angry on the soul reaper captain because of that. He wasn't seeking for revenge. The Espada understood why he did it; after all he would have done the exact same thing in his place. After all they were enemies.

_"__In a war it's hard to draw a clear line of who are bad or good, allies and enemies."_

Sighing again Coyote Starrk placed his right arm over his face. He never had thought about those things before. In his life there were only loneliness, the wish of comradeship, the urge to sleep all time and his debt to Lord Aizen. So why did he felt so uneasy all of a sudden? Why were the words of the soul reaper captain still ringing in his ears? Why couldn't he stop thinking about Lilynette? Why was he thinking about right and wrong?

Dammit, he was a Hollow! He wasn't supposed to feel like that!

But he clearly was. It even kept him from falling asleep and that alone was a bad sign.

Sighing for the third time he turned around and buried his face into the soft pillows. Closing his eyes he once again tried to drift off into sleep.

"Starrk! How can you try to sleep in such a situation?! Raise your lazy ass!"

The first Espada groaned, trying to shut out her imaginary voice.

What the hell was going on…?

* * *

**I hope I didn't make anyone OOC. If I did, please tell me.**

**Don't forget to review! And check out the video! It's super! Hehe…**


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